How to Become SAFER Certified

The ASPCA’s SAFER (Safety Assessment For Evaluating Rehoming) Assessment is a tool for assessing the probability of future canine aggression. The SAFER assessment was developed by Dr. Emily Weiss, Ph.D., C.A.A.B. Dr. Weiss joined the ASPCA in 2005 as Senior Director of Shelter Behavior Programs.

The SAFER Assessment tool has helped animal-welfare professionals all over the country identify potential aggression and opportunities for behavior modification, ultimately leading to more adoptions through appropriate placement.

Getting Started

To implement SAFER in your facility, we strongly recommend that individuals from your shelter attend a workshop offered through the ASPCA. Those interested in certification must either:

• Attend a SAFER two-day workshop taught by SAFER facilitators, OR
• Purchase a SAFER Manual and Training Guide and DVD.

Submitting Assessments for Certification

If you have attended a SAFER workshop or reviewed your purchased Manual and Training Guide and DVD and now want to become certified, you can download the SAFER Certification Fact Sheet (.pdf). Follow the instructions in this fact sheet to submit the materials required for certification to the ASPCA.

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact us at meetyourmatch@aspca.org.